I am almost out of sock yarn. *sob* I only have enough yarn in the house for 2 more pair, and one of those is yarn that is a royal PITA to work with. So last night, in an effort to find something else to work on knitting, I started another shawl, similar to my not so Basic Black Shawl, from Folk Shawls. Here is my first version.

it was done in Knitpicks Palette, in black and garnet heather. This is a fingering weight, and it has been really handy, I use it all the time. But I got into my head that I want to do another one. This time, lace weight, and green and red. I ordered the yarn to do this several months ago. This time I went with Knitpicks Shadow, in Juniper and Sunset Heather. It took me a couple false starts to get the needle size right for the yarn (I ended up with a 5) and off I went. so far, I am making good progress, andI am almost to the second lace panel, in the second color. The rounds are fast at this stage, but as it gets bigger, the longer they take. The first shawl took me right at a month to finish, any guesses on how long this one will take?

I was busy today, Laundry, cleaning, etc. I made steak and mushrooms in rice in the crockpot for lunch, super easy will have to repeat that. I also baked french bread, it was so good, the kids and I cut the first loaf and ate it hot with butter on it… the second loaf got made into garlic bread to go with spaghetti for dinner, definately something I will have to make again.

I also watched a couple of my recorded shows while my 2yo was napping, and got 2 repeats done on my lace shawl, all in all a pretty good day.

other than walking, and since I try not to dwell on the evil, i won’t discuss that. Knitting and reading. I am still working on my pi shawl. but it is getting closer and closer to done. I am almost done with the second cake of yarn, and will start the edging with my third cake. Right now I am at 1152 stitches per round. and I won’t get any bigger around… except for the 4 I need to increase for my edging pattern.

I searched and searched. 3 stitch dictionaries and 3 pattern books plus Ravelry, to find the lace edging I want for my shawl. I finially found it, in Victorian Lace Today. It is a simple diamond pattern border, called a Torchon lace pattern. it should be pretty eas, and turn out great, now if only I can get it done!! I am so excited, I still totally love this project.

my order… from knit picks… it is here. *said in best Igor (from Frankenstein) voice*

Ok, I admit it, I have a serious knitting/yarn problem, and you know, admitting it is the first step! Unfortunately, the second step is wanting to change, and I just haven’t gotten there yet. I am enjoying my addiction, um, hobby.

I got 4 cables, and 5 sets of needle tips, just in time too, cause I managed to borrow A Gathering of Lace this morning, so that I can make the Rainbow Ripple shawl out of it… and I was just waiting on my new needles to get here to get started. I won’t be making mine rainbow colors though, and I think I will dye it after I am done.

Now I need to go through my knitting tool box and see what needles I can get rid of (was planning on these knit picks options needles replacing a lot of what I have on hand.) Also between the Rainbow Ripple shawl, and my mystery shawl KAL starting in a couple weeks, I should be full up on projects for a while. and I can also revert back to dishcloths for short, quickly finished items when I feel that need. Current count on dish cloths, after the 2 I finished at SnB this morning… 41.

it only took half the time to wind the yarn I hanked up last week into cakes to be knitted from… I dyed it up last night, and then balled it up today, I think it turned out great…

really dark shades of green, and various lighter shades to a light-med green, with some white, but no pastels. Just exactly what I was looking for! and it took half the time to wind into balls as it did to put it in a hank to be dyed!

Now I just have to wait for the Mystery Shawl Knit-A-Long to start… 5 more weeks… SOB!

I just spent 2 hours winding off lace weight yarn from a cone into a hank (on the swift) so that I can dye it for a mystery shawl Knit-A-Long that I have joined that will start in June. 1700 yards. *sigh* now my back hurts. and I still have to decide what color I am going to dye it. I am aiming for varying shades of a single color. But I am debating between green, and red, the hard part is going to be getting either of the colors as dark as I want them to be for the darkest shades.

I will do the crock-pot method, only for this much yarn, I will be using the turkey roaster that I have so that I make sure to get good absorption. Red or Green… tough decision.

Kinda a blah morning. I am feeling cranky and lazy, I just don’t wanna do anything but sit and listen to podcasts. Maybe knit. I have to get some housework done. Hubby will home from drill tonight, and the older kids go back to school tomorrow (we have had two weeks of spring break.) Usually my kids are excited about going back to school, but here, the schools are just so not up to standard, that they are kinda dreading it. My second grader is BEGGING to be home schooled next year, she wants to learn that bad, and they just aren’t teaching her here.

I did manage to finish my baby blanket last night. *sigh* that is a weight off my shoulders, now I can move on to doing something I want to knit… back to working on my bag.. I really want to finish it, I want to see what it will look like once it is felted, and I can’t wait till I cant felt it, then use it. And my hands are kinda itching for a lace project, but I am not sure what it will be yet… still leaning towards a clapotis.

I also want to just sit and read… I am in the middle of two, one paper book, and one ebook, for sitting and knitting. One is J. D. Robb’s Strangers in Death, the other is Angie Sage’s Physik, I am enjoying them both, and I am just not making enough progress to suit me.